Kmart preps for flu season with walk-in clinics

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. Kmart will open its annual walk-in flu clinics Thursday, the mass merchandiser announced Wednesday.

Clinics at more than 900 Kmart Pharmacy stores will remain open until Oct. 30, offering seasonal flu vaccinations for $25.

“Kmart Pharmacy is dedicated to being your home for family health,” Kmart Pharmacy divisional VP Robbert Ayshford said in a statement. “Due to continuing concern over seasonal flu outbreaks this year, Kmart wants to remind the community that Kmart Pharmacy is a great resource for keeping families healthy this year.”

The flu season begins in November and can last until May. Seasonal flu is a leading cause of death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC recommends flu vaccinations for children older than 6 months, adults older than 50, pregnant women and people with chronic medical conditions. Though the A-H1N1 swine flu has become a leading cause of concern among Americans, vaccines for the flu strain have not yet become available.

“There is a lot of confusion out there among consumers about the differences between seasonal flu and H1N1,” Ayshford said.